President Bola Tinubu’s media team is facing another controversy after Daniel Bwala, a former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar during the 2023 elections, announced his new role at the presidency.
On Monday, Bwala shared on social media that he had officially resumed as the Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications/Spokesperson (State House).
He also posted photos from a press briefing with journalists at the State House.
However, hours later, Bayo Onanuga, the “Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy,” challenged Bwala’s announcement. In a statement, Onanuga clarified that Tinubu does not have a single spokesperson but a team of three Special Advisers.
He explained that changes had been made to the media team for better communication. The revised roles include:
1. Sunday Dare – Now Special Adviser, Media and Public Communications.
2. Daniel Bwala – Reassigned as Special Adviser, Policy Communication.
3. Bayo Onanuga – Retains the role of Special Adviser, Information and Strategy.
“These appointments, along with the existing role of Special Adviser, Information and Strategy , underscore that there is no single individual spokesperson for the Presidency. Instead, all the three Special Advisers will collectively serve as spokespersons for the government. This approach aims to ensure effective and consistent communication of government policies, decisions, and engagements,” Onanuga stated.
This latest development has stirred reactions among Nigerians. See reactions on social media:
femyek: “Three persons speaking for the president will achieve the exact opposite of what is intended (as referenced above) You cannot get the same explanation of a simple policy question by three persons. These roles and their nomenclatures are not well thought out.”
Anadio_: “Three spokespersons for one president seem redundant and inefficient.”
ReginaldAaron4: “Does this imply the Tinubu’s communication challenges are so overwhelming that it requires multiple voices to manage, or is it simply an attempt to amplify propaganda through multiple channels?”
yomibarca01: “The fact that there is no clear lead in the president comms shows that doom is very near. Never seen a disjointed media team like this before.
“Three spokepersons in a country that is still struggling economically like ours? What a joke!”
TheHeroNG: “Three of you doing the same job. So much for cutting the cost of governance.”
GENERALEMINA: “They break @BwalaDaniel backbone, parading himself as government spoke person, now restricted to only policy communication.”
This is not the first time Tinubu’s media team has faced criticism. Earlier in May, during Tinubu’s first anniversary as president, conflicting statements from Onanuga and Ajuri Ngelale, the former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, caused confusion.
As of now, neither Bwala nor Onanuga has responded to calls or messages about the situation. The drama within Tinubu’s media team continues to generate mixed reactions nationwide.
